Tonight's Dinner & Dessert

Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Makes: 9 pieces (3 chicken breasts, cut into 3 sections each)
Calories: 126 per piece (378 per breast)

• 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and juice squeezed out
• 1 tsp. oil
• 1/2 cup (2.5 oz) fat free Feta cheese
• 1/3 cup fat free ricotta
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• salt and pepper
• 3 (1.25 lbs) chicken breast halves
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp water
• 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs (I didn't have seasoned breadcrumbs, so I added some Italian seasoning to my plain breadcrumbs. Tasted great)
• spray oil
• toothpicks

In a small sauté pan, heat oil. Add onions, garlic and scallions and sauté about 1 minute. Add spinach and parsley, salt and pepper and cook another minute. Remove from heat, add feta and ricotta cheese.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Slice chicken breast halves into 3 thin cutlets. Pound them to make them thinner. This helps when you wrap the cutlets. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place just under 1/4 cup of spinach mixture in the center of the chicken. Roll it and secure the ends with toothpicks to prevent filling from coming out. It's ok if it's not perfect. The egg wash and breadcrumbs keep everything in place. Dip chicken into egg wash, then breadcrumbs. Spray cookie sheet with oil and place chicken on cookie sheet. Lightly spray chicken with oil and bake about 25 minutes, until cooked through. Remove toothpicks and serve.


Dark Chocolate Meringue Drops
About 40 (2-inch) cookies
Caleries per cookie: 28

• 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate (60-75% cacao), divided
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process), sifted after measuring if lumpy
• 3 tablespoons cocoa nibs, optional (I didn't use these)
• 1/3 cup egg whites (about 3 large) (I only needed two), at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup sugar, divided (use 1 1/2 teaspoons less if cocoa nibs are omitted)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and coat the paper with cooking spray.

Coarsely chop 3 ounces of chocolate and place it in a small microwave-safe bowl. (Alternatively, see “No Microwave?” below.) Microwave on Medium for 1 minute. Stir, then continue microwaving on Medium, stirring every 20 seconds, until mostly melted. Stir until the remaining chocolate melts completely.

Chop the remaining 2 ounces chocolate into pieces the size of mini chocolate chips. Combine in a small bowl with cocoa and cocoa nibs (if using).

Combine egg whites and cream of tartar in a clean medium mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low for 30 seconds, then at medium speed until soft peaks start to form. Immediately add about 2 tablespoons sugar; beat for 1 minute. Slowly, about a tablespoon at a time, add the remaining sugar, then vanilla, continuing to beat on medium speed until the mixture is smooth, opaque, glossy and thickened, about 2 minutes longer. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, raise the speed to high, and beat for 30 seconds more. Lightly fold in the chocolate-cocoa mixture and the melted chocolate just until evenly incorporated and no streaks remain; do not overmix. Immediately drop the batter by rounded teaspoonfuls about 1 inch apart onto the prepared baking sheets.

Bake the cookies, switching the pans back to front and top to bottom halfway through, until just firm when gently pressed on top but still soft inside, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer the pans to wire racks and let stand for 1 to 2 minutes. Then slide the paper from the pans to a flat surface and let the cookies cool completely, about 15 minutes. Gently lift the cookies from the parchment paper using a wide-bladed spatula.